Demons' Run
by NevynR
Summary: Sequel to Innocence Lost. Set immediately after the events of Innocence Lost, our dynamic duo must contend with conspiracies, murder, lust and intrigue, all whilst trying to figure out their own changing relationship. Chapter 2 now up! :-D
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Demons' Run  
><strong>

**Summary: Sequel to Innocence Lost. Set immediately after the events of Innocence Lost, our dynamic duo must contend with conspiracies, murder, lust and intrigue, all whilst trying to figure out their own changing relationship. Written for Manuxinhace's challenge.  
><strong>

**Rating: M - Adult situations, violence, language.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: The usual. Sadly. Spoilers for everything up to 3x24, and possibly some others thrown in.  
><strong>

**Author's Note: Well folks, this little piece is what's been keeping me away from Layers lately. I've had so much going on in my head plot-wise for this, it's just crazy. For those who are of a mind to know, the title and central premise of this is from a poem cited by a character in the latest Dr Who series. I'm still not sure exactly where this one is going, but it seems as though the plot bunnies will not be denied. I'll be splitting my time between writing this and Layers, so please, please bear with me! As ever, my heartfelt thanks go out to my beta and muse, Manu, for all your input, tolerance for my late-night ramblings; and for cracking the whip when needed ;-D**

* * *

><p><em>Demons run, when a good man goes to war.<em>

_Night will fall and drown the sun,_

_When a good man goes to war._

_Friendship dies and true love lies,_

_Night will fall and the dark will rise,_

_When a good man goes to war._

_Demons run, but count the cost,_

_The battle's won, but the child is lost._

_- River Song, Dr Who (s06e07)_

* * *

><p>Arms wrapped around each other, they stood in the guest bedroom, Kate's cheek pressed up against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat loud and steady in her ear. Her voice quiet, she spoke, hesitantly.<p>

"Castle…" She paused, simply enjoying the feeling of security she got from being so close to him, hating that she had to spoil the moment. "You know we can't do… this right now, don't you?" She felt the sting of her words, her stomach turning within her as she realised what they'd just done. Still reeling slightly from the intensity of their kiss, Beckett knew she needed to address the matter before it went any further. Feeling his arms tense, she heard his heart rate speed up as he drew a big breath, letting it out slowly. His voice bittersweet, Castle replied, one hand drawing aimless circles on her back.

"I know, Beckett. You have a lot to deal with at the moment, and this…" He paused briefly. "This is just one more thing to take on board." He swallowed, hating himself for asking, needing to know the answer. "Do you regret it?" She replied immediately her fears easing as she realised that he didn't hate her for what she'd said.

"No, I don't." Pulling back slightly, she looked him in the face, her eyes scanning his features. "It feels… good… to get it out in the open, I guess." Squeezing him briefly, she continued. "But we can't… I'm still with Josh, Castle, and I need to deal with that before anything else happens. He deserves that much, at least." Rick nodded, his expression showing clearly that he understood where she was coming from. She wasn't backing out of it, far from it. She was doing the honourable thing, making sure that when they moved ahead, there wouldn't be anything waiting to trip them up. A bitter edge to his voice, his eyes hardened slightly as he responded.

"Been there, done that." He gave a brief, mirthless chuckle. Seeing the hurt flash across Beckett's face, he eased his features, explaining. "Not you, never you…" He paused. "Meredith… If she'd had half as much decency as you do, it would have made our divorce so much easier." A half-smile flitted across his lips. "Actually, if she'd been even half the woman you are, we probably wouldn't have gotten divorced in the first place." Castle ran his hands up her back, pressing her to his chest briefly. Feeling the fine trembling in her muscles, he eased himself backwards until the back of his legs touched the bed. Slowly, he sat down, keeping her close to him, taking her weight as she adjusted herself gingerly. Settling herself next to him, she kept her arm around his waist, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. His arm around her shoulders still, Castle felt her sigh and work her way slightly closer to him, absorbing his body heat almost instinctively. Smiling softly, he continued speaking, filling the silence with his past.

"Given my reputation, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought both my divorces were at least partly my fault…" Making a small, wordless noise in her throat that could have meant anything, Kate looked at him properly for the first time since the kiss. Somehow, she could tell just by the way that he held himself that this wasn't the Castle she usually saw. His previous marriages had concerned her for a long time, not least because he had gone back to both of his ex-wives at some point since he waltzed into her life. His taste for Deep Fried Twinkies having been well and truly worn out after her last visit, Beckett waited patiently for him to continue. Lost in his recollection, he spoke, not knowing that his partner listened with all the attention she usually reserved for the interrogation room.

"We got married young. At first, it was fantastic… We were both happily living the party life, the whole fame and fortune thing… When we found out she was pregnant, I figured that getting married was the next logical step. I wasn't worried about being able to support a family, and I was so sure we were in love, that it would last for ever…" He sighed deeply, his fingers tracing aimless patterns on her shoulder. "The wedding was massive, completely over the top, but it was what she wanted, and I'd never done it before, so I went along with it. Seven months later, Alexis was born, and everything changed. I cut back the partying, but Meredith couldn't… or wouldn't. Didn't want to have her style cramped, I guess. We started arguing not long after that. She was always out, coming home late and drunk, or sometimes not until the next day." His face tightened as the memories swelled within him, spilling from his mouth, his voice raw.

"I didn't notice the signs back then, but looking back on it, it was clear what was going on. She had a case of post-partum depression, and was dealing with it the only way she knew how: by throwing herself into having fun as hard as she could. I spent more and more time looking after Alexis, and less time writing. It didn't bother me too much, because she was such a perfect baby, and the royalties from the books were still coming in enough to not have to worry about the financial side of things, but Meredith… She stayed out later and later, and finally it got to the point where I wouldn't see her for days at a time." He swallowed, sighing again before resuming, his arm tensing around her briefly as he recalled what came next.

"Alexis would have been not much more than a year old… I took her down to the park to play for a couple of hours at lunch time most days. The weather went down hill, we'd only been there maybe half an hour, and it started to rain, so we headed back home. When we got there, I found Meredith and her casting director on the couch. They were so busy with each other that they didn't even notice we'd walked in the door…" He paused for a moment, jaw clenched. "I put Alexis down for a nap, and by the time I had her settled, Meredith must have heard me, because she was waiting for me in the kitchen when I came back out, and the director was nowhere to be found. I confronted her about it, and she promised me, she swore to me that it was the first time, that she was sorry, that it'd never happen again…"

Beckett sat mute at his side, lost for words. She had met his ex-wife once or twice over the years, and even from those brief encounters, she could see what he was referring to with her flighty moods, and over the top personality. She could hear the strain in Rick's voice when he spoke about it. She knew that seeing his wife betraying him in their own house, while he was caring for their daughter would have shattered him. Beckett knew about having your entire world, everything you thought you knew ripped from you in a single, cruel instant…

She knew about walls, about putting on a façade for the rest of the world to see. Over the years, she had come to realise that her partner was a lot more like her in some respects that she had first thought. The playboy millionaire had become a mask worn so often that sometimes he'd forgotten to take it off when he wasn't in public, and now she had some idea what had brought it about. Kate had been getting cause and effect confused, almost as long as she'd known him. She'd always just… assumed that he'd been responsible for the breakdown of his marriages, that his playboy ways had caused the divorces… The guilt of her assumptions stung at her as she heard his words, felt the pain that still ate at him. He'd done the right thing, he had stepped up, grown up to take care of his child, and the woman he loved had broken his heart in the worst way possible.

Not knowing what to say, Beckett simply gripped his hand, squeezing it, offering her wordless support. Returning the gesture, Castle sighed as he returned to the present. He looked down at her, a bitter half-smile on his lips as he spoke.

"I didn't want to think that she'd been sleeping around behind my back all this time, but I knew it had to be a possibility. She went to Malibu for a couple of weeks for a minor role in some indie movie, and the next thing I know, I'm being served with divorce papers... There are only two things I'm grateful for out of the whole mess: Alexis, and the fact that she was too young to remember what happened." He trailed off, and just sat, drained by the effort of recalling one of the most painful episodes of his past. Strangely, he felt... lighter. Having unburdened himself, shared the burden of his pain, Castle turned and looked at his partner, still tucked warmly under his arm.

Noting the look of sympathy on her face, the ghost of a smile worked its way onto his face. She drew breath to say something, anything, if only to ease the marks of remembered pain from his face, but was beaten to it by a loud groan coming from her stomach. Both of them chuckling at the interruption, they broke eye contact. Easing his arm from around her shoulders, Castle spoke again, his tone light. "Looks like we might be needing something to quiet the hungry beast there, Beckett..." He stood up slowly, making sure his movements didn't jostle the bed and aggravate her wounds. Turning, he offered her his hands to help her up. Kate slipped her hands into his without a second thought, grasping firmly as she eased herself back upright.

Dropping one hand, Castle shifted his grip so that he was braced to take Beckett's weight if she needed it. They moved out to the kitchen slowly, Kate's breath hitching as she sat on one of the stools at the kitchen bench. Releasing her, Castle walked into the kitchen and began unpacking the groceries that he had left on the bench earlier. Head down in the refrigerator, he asked,

"So, detective, what does that stomach of yours want, besides your lunch-time medication?" He turned and faced her once more, an impish look on his face as he reached into the pantry to grab the chef's apron. The cheerful grin on his face erasing the serious tone that had developed in the loft with their prior conversation, Beckett could not hold back the smile that broke out.

"I don't know, Castle... surprise me."

* * *

><p>Beckett woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing incessantly next to her. Blinking her eyes, she remembered just in time not to try stretching. Lying on the couch, she had been idly watching Temptation Lane reruns on the television while Castle finished his workout before they had lunch. Figuring he had slipped up to the bathroom for a shower after his exertions, she pondered exactly how long he'd spent on the treadmill, and how long he intended on staying in the shower for.<p>

Wondering if he actually planned on coming out any time soon, she summoned enough energy to reach over and pick her still-ringing phone up, immediately noting the caller ID: Josh. Swallowing, she felt her stomach clench, knowing that this probably wasn't going to end pleasantly. She'd argued with Josh repeatedly about Castle, and she could only imagine what conclusions he'd jump to when she finally managed to speak to him about it. Pushing her nerves aside, she answered the call. Instinct taking over, she slipped into work mode.

"Beckett." There was a slight pause from the other end of the line before Josh responded.

"Hey, Kate..." Sounding tired and a little disturbed at her no-nonsense tone, he continued. "I've just knocked off shift, and was going to swing by and say hi, if you were up for a visitor." Swallowing again, she took the bit between the teeth.

"Yeah, I'm awake, just had a nap, so I should be good for a few hours. Are you coming straight over?"

"Oh good." He replied, the relief plain in his voice. "It's been mad here the last few days, and I was really hoping you'd be awake. What's the address again?" Kate gave him directions to the loft, calculating how long it would take him to arrive. She knew that he'd be on his bike, so probably twenty minutes, she guessed, allowing for traffic.

Not wanting to disturb Castle when he was in the shower, she decided picked up the remote and channel surfed randomly, not really watching, but not wanting Temptation Lane still playing when Josh arrived. He'd asked her about the signed cast photo she had hanging on the wall of her apartment, and when she'd explained that Castle had given it to her, he hadn't mentioned it again. The detective in her had noted the way his face tightened whenever he laid eyes on it, even going as far as to avoid looking at it whenever he was there. The mere mention of the show seemed to stir his jealous side, and she really didn't want to provoke Josh any further by having it playing on Castle's television, in Castle's loft while she was staying there.

Unable to settle on anything in particular, she left it on a music video channel, and eased herself back into the couch, her mind whirling as she tried to put her thoughts in order. Kate knew her track record with relationships wasn't exactly brilliant. She'd been in love with Royce, all those years ago, but it hadn't gone anywhere, he'd kept a lid on things for her career's sake, she knew now. Will had been her most serious relationship in her life up to that point, and she'd... let him go. Smiling a little at the irony of it all, she realised that she had more in common with Castle than she realised.

_Mind __you,_ She mused. _I __get__ the __feeling __he __cared__ for __Kyra__ a __lot __more __than__ I __did __for __Will..._ She allowed herself to dwell on her partner's first love for a moment, recalling the flash of jealously she'd felt when she had seen him with her. It stung, but was nothing compared to what she had felt when she found out that he had kissed her. Kyra's parting words rang in her ears, the woman obviously had seen the green-eyed monster clawing at Beckett's insides when she leaned in and said "He's all yours."

Turning her thoughts to the first time she'd actually broken up with a guy since college, she still felt bad about the way things had ended with Demming. He was a good guy, she knew, and someday he'd make some woman happy. Looking back at it, she knew that even if it weren't for Richard Castle, her relationship with Tom would probably have ended up like the one she was about to finish with Josh: perfect on paper, the reality a lot less so. Charming, handsome, and with a job like hers, there was an attraction there, for sure. But she had that now with Josh, too... There would have been... She paused, mulling the emotions in her mind. She'd have been content, maybe, but not happy, not the butterflies in the stomach that the merest look from Rick caused. Kissing Tom or Josh was pleasant enough, enjoyable even, but all it had taken was one kiss from Castle, and she was ruined for anybody else. The way he stole her breath with his lips was practically criminal, as was the way all rational thought fled from her mind when his hand slid into her hair and gripped her tight, pulling her to him in the alley, desperation and adrenaline fueling the fires within them.

Kate shook her head trying to clear the thoughts of the kiss from her head.

_Focus,__ Beckett!_ She thought, irritated with herself that she couldn't keep her mind on track, distracted by the memory of a kiss that was six months old. Her attention fully on the impending confrontation with Josh, she could still feel the memory of the kiss from the night before, prowling around the edges of her concentration. She dragged her mind back to where it was supposed to be: Josh, and finding the best way of letting him down gently, or at least as gently as possible. Making a concerted effort, Kate eased her shoulders, trying to loosen some of the tension there as she sifted through the problems in her relationship with her boyfriend. Placing all her feelings about Castle into a box, she shifted them to one side, her attention on the doctor.

The sounds of music drifted quietly on the air as Kate ran her hand across her forehead, smoothing out the frown that had formed as she sat, deep in thought. The sudden flickering of the television drew her attention, the music video interrupted by a CCTV image of the hallway outside the loft. Seeing Josh walking rapidly towards the door, she stood up gingerly, her muscles protesting from the amount of time she'd spent sitting in the one position. She made her way over to the door as quickly as she could, her hand just touching the door handle when the doorbell rang.

Looking at the small monitor next to the door, she made sure it was Josh before she opened it slowly due to the weight of the reinforced door. His face creasing in a big smile, Josh stepped through the doorway, one hand resting on her hip as he dipped his head, placing a quick kiss to her lips before she had a chance to react. She stepped back, breaking his embrace as she allowed him to walk into the loft properly.

"How are you doing, Kate?" He asked, his eyes darting around the loft, noting the expensive decor. Beckett closed the door behind him, a little out of breath. Turning, she made her way over to the kitchen bench.

"Okay, I guess. I've been sleeping a lot. Still hurts a lot, but it's getting easier to move around the place." She leaned against the bench for a moment before continuing. "Rick makes sure I eat properly, and have my meds on time though, as much as I complain, so I've been following doctors orders pretty well." A little disturbed at they way she referred to her partner as Rick instead of the usual 'Castle', Josh sat on one of the stools, running his professional eye over his girlfriend, gauging her recovery. Even in the few days since she had been discharged, he could see that she was recovering as well as could be expected. There were still traces of pain on her face, and she winced every time she forgot herself and moved too suddenly, but her colour was back, and she looked much closer to her old self. Remembering her manners, she asked

"You want a drink? I'm about to make coffee. I'm still not really with it yet, I had a nap on the couch earlier." He nodded.

"Coffee would be great." Kate turned and started making the drinks, but the silence from Josh caught her attention. Placing three cups on the bench between them, she looked at him, raising an eyebrow at his puzzled look.

"Why three cups?" He asked.

"Castle is in the shower, he should be down anytime now, and I'm sure he'll want a cup when does." Kate saw Josh's face change, a frown forming at the casual way she seemed to know how and when her partner liked his coffee. The mention of the loft's owner spurring him to ask, Josh spoke.

"How come you know your way around his kitchen so well if you've been asleep most of the time, Kate?" He paused, trying very hard to keep his tone even. Exactly how the writer fit into her life had been a niggling bone of contention between the two of them for a long time, and to keep the peace, Josh now tried to avoid the topic altogether if possible. Kate's expression hardened at his tone, although she was almost relieved in a way, knowing that this fight would probably be the best way to broach the subject of their relationship.

"Firstly, I know he'll want coffee, because I spend most of every day working next to him." She paused for a split second, unsure if she should share Rick's changed lifestyle with a man she was about to break up with. _No,_ she decided, _if__ Rick __wanted __Josh __to __know, __he__'__d __have __told __him __already._ She continued. "Secondly, he took care of a few errands earlier. I can hear the water still running, so I assume he went for a shower when he was done. As for the kitchen, Josh… He's my friend, and I've been here before. Hell, I lived in his guest room for a month last year…" Josh gaped at her for a second, then replied.

"You what? Since when?" He demanded.

"When my apartment was blown up…" She answered flatly. She waited for the inevitable questions that would follow, and she wasn't disappointed.

"What the hell, Kate? Why didn't you tell me about this?" She could see his face start to get flushed as he tried very hard to keep a lid on his temper.

"It didn't come up in conversation, Josh, and it's not like you ever bothered to ask, was it?"

"Oh, like any man is going to ask his girlfriend 'hey, just out of idle curiosity, did your apartment get blown up last year'? Or how about 'you know the famous author that follows you around like a lost puppy? Have you ever lived with him'?"

"For your information, that 'lost puppy' is my partner, Josh. He saved my life that night, twice. He rang me and told me to get out of there. if he hadn't, I'd have died less than a second later. He ran into the building, which was on fire, kicked my door down and carried me out. So yeah, it was kind of a big deal, but hey, it was before we got together, so why would you think to ask about it? It's not like you bothered to do anything like that anyway…" Kate snapped at him, her voice getting progressively more heated as she spoke.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Josh demanded, crossing his arms defensively as he raised his eyebrows.

"You know exactly what it means! It means that we've been dating for nearly a year, but you've only been here for half of it!" Beckett let loose, finally able to vent something that had been getting more and more irritating the longer their relationship went on. "I know you didn't go to Haiti, but you might as well have done. You pulled two weeks solid of double shifts, Josh... Just coming home to bed and falling asleep for 5 hours and dragging yourself back to surgery is not that much different from being on the other side of the damn planet as far as spending time with you girlfriend is concerned."

"You knew about my Doctors Without Borders trips before we started getting serious, Kate. I thought you understood..."

"No, I understood it was your passion, I get that, but just once... _once_! You stayed behind and I thought we had a chance. I almost died twice in twenty four hours, Josh. Where were you when I woke up at 4am, shivering and terrified? I was alone in my bed, and I needed somebody there."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Josh sat back, shocked as Kate unloaded on him. His stomach dropped as he began to have some idea of what she had gone through. He'd made the mistake of assuming that since they both had stressful jobs and dealt with death on a daily basis, that they'd have some common ground, but in the face of her admission, he knew differently. He'd had rough nights before, but he'd never woken up from nightmares from them.

"Yeah, you didn't." Kate spat bitterly. She decided to push the issue, to show him exactly how badly he'd screwed up. "I had that exact nightmare every night for a week, and the only damn thing that could calm me down was talking to somebody who knew what I'd been through. I called my partner, because my boyfriend would rather be at work."

"Yeah, well, maybe I thought you wouldn't need me, did that occur to you?" He returned fire, his voice rising as he went on. "You never have before, because _he's_ always there for you, isn't he? Your name was the first thing he said when he came round, Kate. You can't tell me that's 'just friends'. Tell me, has he been keeping you company when you're not at work as well? You two would have had lots of time, since according to you, I'm away so fucking often!"

The sounds of their voices carried through the apartment, drowning the cessation of the water from Castle's en suite. Hearing the noises from the kitchen, Castle caught the tail end of a pissed off Kate Beckett and the sounds of an irate somebody else. Not knowing what was going on, he reacted, adrenaline flooding his body. Ignoring the towel in his hand, he pulled on the pair of old jeans that were lying on his bed, doing the belt up as his free hand opened the safe concealed in the headboard of his bed. Tucking his pistol into the small of his back, he headed down the stairs as fast as he could, taking them in threes. He turned the corner, his right hand brushing the handle of the pistol, ready to draw, just in case. Before he rounded the bend, he called out to her.

"Kate, is everything okay?" He straightened up as he saw who she was arguing with, his abrupt entrance cutting the couple off.

Josh's face went red immediately as he took in the author's attire: barefoot, clad in nothing more than a pair of jeans, hair still dripping wet, droplets of water streaking down his chiseled chest. The same things caught the detective's attention, but for an entirely different reason. She'd felt the changes in him when they hugged the night before, and seen the definition in his arms that morning on his way to his workout, but now…? She'd always had a thing for men in denim, but when coupled with being fresh from the shower, her partner looked less like an author and more like something straight out of a calendar shoot. The protective look in his eyes as they raked her body sent a small quiver through her as she noted where his right hand was positioned. She knew him, and without a doubt she knew that he'd been within an inch of drawing the pistol he'd tucked into the back of his jeans. Still a little stunned at how rapidly Castle had made it into the kitchen, Beckett was even more impressed that he'd had the instincts to grab his weapon on the way down, just in case.

"We're fine." Josh spat, his teeth clenched. Completely ignoring the doctor, Castle kept his eyes locked on the detective in the kitchen, waiting for her answer before he eased even a fraction.

"Actually," She said, her tone biting. "Josh was about to explain why it is that he went from watching me make coffee to assuming I had been sleeping around behind his back..." Rick turned his attention to Josh and crossed his arms, declining to comment, but his face spoke volumes. Shocked that Kate would not only bring the topic out into the open as brazenly as she had, but also that she hadn't told Castle to mind his own business, Josh gaped at her for an instant, before his temper took over.

"Hey! I didn't mean it like that, I just..." He growled in frustration, unable to make the words come out the way he intended. Completely ignoring Castle, he drew a deep breath. Letting it out, he addressed Kate only, returning to the topic they'd been discussing before things got heated, hoping to calm things down. "I just thought that if something was that important to you, you'd have told me about it." His explanation was cut short by a short, sarcastic laugh from the author. Seeing that Castle wasn't about to explain his amusement, Josh glanced back to Kate, and felt his anger build when he saw what he could only describe as the faintest trace of a small, amused smile on her lips as she looked at her partner. Glaring back at Castle, he demanded, "Did I ask for your opinion?"

"Not really," Castle said, his tone that of a parent, carefully explaining something to a child. "But since you asked, when you care about somebody, you are supposed to ask things about them, find out about them, you know?" He glanced over to Beckett, who had eased back on her anger for the moment, and was looking between the two of them like a tennis spectator. He continued, his tone softening a little. "If you knew anything about Beckett, you'd know she doesn't share very well, so asking and paying attention is the only way you are going to find out _anything_."

"Yeah, well I asked her plenty of times about you, and you know what? Not once did she tell me you were anything but 'just a friend'." Josh retorted scathingly.

"So? I'm her friend. What's it to you?"

"I don't like it, and I don't like you." He snapped, his voice echoing around the loft.

"Again... so? I'm not exactly fond of you either, so I couldn't care less what you think about me. The way you treat Kate leaves a lot to be desired, so you're not gonna make my Christmas card list any time soon." Beckett's mouth fell open as Castle let fly, the tension in the room thickening.

"I never laid a hand on her!" Josh replied instantly, face reddening at the implication.

"Didn't say you did. What I meant was that for somebody who's apparently so devoted to her, you spend an awful lot of time away from her. How many times, Josh, has she wanted you there and you've been off somewhere else?" Rick unknowingly echoed Kate's earlier sentiments almost verbatim.

"It's my job, Kate knows that, she understands that. Her job is the same, although I wouldn't expect you to know much about having a real job..."

"She 'understands'...? Hah! She tolerates it, Josh, nothing more. Her job is hard, that I understand, probably better than you. You work crazy hours, _that _she understands, but you spend almost as much time overseas as you do here. You know how I know when you're away? Those are the days she comes to work looking more tired than usual. She's edgier, more easily irritated, because at the end of the day, she goes home to an empty apartment, because _you're__ not __there_." Immediately, Josh countered.

"And you were?" His poker face firmly in place, Castle replied.

"I'm her friend, so yeah, if she needed me. She knows how I feel. Anything more than that is up to her."

"Yeah, well, I think you should just keep your nose out of our business. Why don't you just leave it alone, go chase some bimbo wannabe starlet for a change instead of trying to steal somebody else's woman?" Castle replied, disbelief in his voice.

"You actually just said that, didn't you?" He shook his head, a smirk teasing his lips. "Kate Beckett is nobody's 'woman', and certainly not something to be stolen."

"And _that's _why I don't get you, Castle..." Josh responded. "You know that half the time when I ask Kate how her day was, it starts out with 'Castle did this' or 'Castle said that, or 'the funniest thing happened when Castle... If you'd been man enough to fight for her, we wouldn't be having this argument!" Rick's face heated at Josh's provocation. Gritting his teeth, her replied, trying to keep his temper.

"Not my fault. I work with her all day, makes sense she'd mention me from time to time..." Josh stood up and stepped closer to Castle.

"From time to time I could handle, not all the damn time!" He placed his hands against the author's chest and shoved him backwards. "I've had it up to here with you, Castle, just back the hell off!" Rick's face went blank, his eyes narrowing as he stepped back to his former position, his nose practically touching Josh's.

"Or what, Josh?" His voice low and flat, Rick had a fair idea where this was about to go, and mentally braced himself for it. Even allowing for the moment's preparation he'd had, it still hurt like hell when Josh swung his fist around and connected solidly with his jaw. Having been braced for it, he didn't budge, his head snapping back into position. Declining to answer, Castle simply raised an eyebrow at the enraged doctor in front of him.

The almost casual air with which he brushed off the punch ripped a snarl from Josh, who pulled his fist back again for another swing. Castle moved smoothly, his muscles bunching under his still-damp skin as he side-stepped, a vicious left uppercut collecting his opponent in the solar plexus an instant before his right fist landed on the doctor's jaw and sent him sprawling to the ground, legs unable to support him.

A glint in his eye, his adrenaline was flowing strongly, pulse hammering in his ears, Richard stood over Josh, who lay on the polished floor shaking his head, trying to clear it.

"Not fighting for Kate is different to not fighting at all." He growled. "Whatever happens, Josh, remember: it's Beckett's decision." Still stunned, Josh shook his head again, still foggy. Not able to fully trust his legs yet, he hauled himself slowly upright using the back of the couch. Gingerly, he raised his hand to his jaw and felt it, checking to see if it was broken.

"You've made your point." Josh replied, deciding that his jaw probably wasn't broken, but it was a close thing. Remembering the way the author had moved, and going by the impressive physique that had been hiding under those expensive shirts, Josh realised that despite everything between them, Castle had pulled the punch. Testing his legs, he found that they would hold his weight once more. Running the back of his hand across his mouth, he wiped off a trickle of blood, cleaning his hand on his pants. Turning slightly, he faced the detective in the kitchen. "Kate?" He asked, hesitantly. His heart sank as he saw her expression. Closed off would be a good way to describe it, as would stony, icy, or for the man who knew her, as pissed as hell.

"Don't, Josh." Her voice flat, he could feel her fury heating the air between them.

"I didn't..."

"What part of don't did you not understand?" She glared at him, wondering why it was that she'd put up with him as long as she had. He obviously didn't respect her enough to treat her truly as an equal, he didn't trust her, didn't really know her, and to top it all off, he'd just punched her partner. Something in her snapped at the last point. On some level, she could almost understand him not treating her properly, hell, she'd gone through the whole relationship poised to run, so that almost made then even in some sick sense, but when it came to Castle, that's where she drew the line. She might be broken, but her partner was as close to an innocent soul as she'd met, and even the _thought_ of somebody hurting him had her claws out. "We're done, Josh."

Josh took a step towards her, his hand outstretched, but his forward momentum was cut short as Rick shifted his weight slightly, nothing as overt as stepping between them, but just enough to be ready if he was needed. The movement dragged the doctor's attention back to Castle, and his hand fell to his side. Looking back at Kate once more, he rallied, trying one more time.

"Can't we talk about this, Kate? Somewhere private?" Wincing slightly, Beckett folded her arms and directed her best dealing-with-a-suspect look at him.

"No, we can't." She paused, debating if she should follow that statement up. _Hell,_ She thought, _maybe__ it'll __finally __get __through__ to __him. __Sometimes, __the __truth __hurts..._ "It's over, and I think you should leave. Now." Josh's eyes widened as it sunk in what she'd said, what she meant. There was no going back, he knew. The look of resolve on her face spoke volumes, and he forced himself to swallow the words still fighting their way up his throat. He turned around and walked slowly to the door, not making eye contact with either of them. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he spoke quietly, directing his words to the door, unsure himself for whom they were uttered.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry." He opened the door and walked through, closing it behind him, the soft click disturbing the silence that descended.

Kate looked at Rick, who returned her stare calmly, his face unreadable. Drawing in a shaky breath, she let it out slowly before speaking.

"Well, that didn't go quite the way I thought it would..."

* * *

><p>AN: Well, that's the bit that needed to be written before things can start to get _really_ juicy, folks. The ball is rolling, and our favorite couple are all set to... well, if you want any more than that, you'll have to read the next chapter. Reviews help speed the process along. *hint, hint*


	2. Chapter 2

**Woohoo! 2 chapters in as many days, I'm on a roll, folks! ;-D Thanks again for your awesome support with the first chapter... I have a lot more planned for this one, and feedback like that is just the right food to keep the plot bunnies running around like mad. For Manu, once more, my thanks for the help with the beta'ing. In your job as muse, pretty much this whole fic can be laid at your feet. Most of the ideas come from talking with you about stuff, so it's your fault, okay? :-D Anyways, my dedicated readers, your thoughts are are important to me, so please hit the big yellow button at the bottom of the page, and let me know what you think, yeah? :-)**

**Cheers,**

**NevynR.**

* * *

><p>Previously, in Demons' Run:<p>

Beckett and Castle kissed, Josh was a douche and punched Castle, who returned the favor with interest.

* * *

><p>Beckett let out a sigh of relief as the door clicked closed behind her ex-boyfriend, her eyes following Castle as he sat on the stool at the kitchen bench, his fingers gingerly touching his injured jaw. Seeing the wince, Beckett immediately turned and pulled the freezer open, grabbing an ice-bag and filling it. Moving around the bench, she approached him, her eyes concerned as she looked at the swelling starting to show, the first hint of a bruise forming.<p>

"Here, let me…" She said softly as she stepped between his knees and moved his hand out of the way. Placing the bag against his jaw, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him as the cold against his skin caught him by surprise, pulling a gasp from his lips. Gently but firmly, she held the bag in place as she spoke. "Why did you let him do that, Castle? The way you retaliated… You could easily have stopped that punch from connecting." Working his jaw slowly under the ice, he replied.

"Honestly? I was hoping he'd come to his senses after the first one. I figure I probably deserved that, but I wasn't going to stand there for a second round." A wry smile flickered across his lips for an instant, before the pain stole it from him. "For a doctor, he's got a hell of a right hook though." Beckett chuckled as she replied.

"Not as good as a certain author I know..."

The events of the last few minutes having had time to work their way through her mind, she realised that at last, there wasn't anything standing between them. The memory of their kiss still teasing the back of her thoughts, she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding as she finally let herself relax, a sense of completeness filling her as she took that metaphorical step toward him, towards _them_. Inching herself closer to him, the insides of his thighs brushing her hips, she kept the bag pressed against his skin as she finally allowed herself to run her eyes appreciatively over his body. Skin still warm from his shower, she inhaled his scent like a perfume. His usual cologne absent, she found the smell of just him… intoxicating.

Kate Beckett had always had a weakness for a man in jeans. The way her partner filled his out made her mouth go dry, and had the opposite effect elsewhere on her body. Raking her eyes up his legs, she paused, noting that his jaw wasn't the only thing swelling. A wicked grin forming on her lips, she pulled the ice-bag away from his injured face, sending rivulets of water trailing down his neck, and across the impressive swell of his chest. Her gaze following the droplets through his chest hair and along his stomach, Kate let out a low purr of appreciation at the sight of one of her fantasies made flesh in front of her.

Dropping the ice-bag on the bench behind Castle, she threw caution to the winds and leaned forward, her fingers trailing lightly across his shoulders, wordlessly pinning him in place as the tip of her tongue flickered out, licking the water from chest. Her tongue barely grazing his skin, she alternated each stroke with a kiss as she worked her way up his torso.

Castle groaned, a deep bass rumble spilling from him as she made her way to his neck, a hint of teeth caressing the corner of his jaw. Gently, she kissed her way across the injured part, before teasing his lips with her own. Keeping their bodies apart, she felt the delicious tingle building everywhere they were touching: his legs just touching the outsides of her hips, their lips as they moved against one another as they deepened their connection.

Raising his hands, Castle rested them on her hips, thumbs drawing lazy circles on her hip bones, his fingers hooking around her backside, flexing in time to the rhythm of their kiss. Beckett let out a small moan, which was devoured by his hungry mouth, an instant before she threaded both her hands through his hair and gripped his head firmly. Crushing them together, she pulled his bottom lip between her teeth, nipping at it. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as she realised that Josh's punch must have split Castle's lip. Far from dissuading her, the taste seemed to flick a switch insider her as she bit his lip harder, her hands dropping to his shoulders, nails digging in as she devoured his mouth, pressing herself against him so hard that their teeth clashed, her tongue slipping between his eagerly parted lips.

Her intensity fueling his own desire, Rick wrapped his legs around her and drew her closer to him, the flexing of his thighs and calves bringing their groins into contact, the heat flaring and building between them. Pulling her head back from their kiss, she saw the fire in his eyes, his pupils almost fully dilated as he admired the effects of the kiss. Her cheeks flushed, lips swollen and red, and her eyes almost delirious with need.

Noses almost touching, they panted heavily, trying to get their breath back, but neither of them willing to move away. Gazes locked, they held their places for several seconds, still pinned in place by Castle's legs wrapped around her. Unable to sit still any longer, he rocked his hips into her, hands slipping under the bottom edge of her shirt. The renewed motion dragged a breathy moan from Beckett, her mouth falling open as she felt the heat in her belly clench, sending small flutters through her as she felt his arousal pressed against her. The touch of his fingers on her bare skin was enough to driver her forward again, leaning her full weight into him, their chests pressing against each other as she captured his lips once for another searing kiss.

Drawing small circles on her lower back, Castle was having a hard time wrapping his mind around what was happening. Not two minutes ago, he was fighting with Josh, and now here he was, with his tongue down her throat, her nails digging into his back pulling him closer than he ever thought he could get to her. His hands operating on auto-pilot, since his higher brain-functions were obviously compromised, roamed across her naked flesh, one sliding up her back, fingertips brushing the back of what felt like a suspiciously lacy bra, the other dipping south, the curve of her backside filling his large hand as he cupped it.

He groaned, a sound somewhere between happiness, satisfaction and desire as she ground herself into him, one of her hands trailing lightly down his chest, the feather-light touch at odds with the almost desperate way she pressed herself to him.

Kate was lost in a world of sensations: the kiss, his fingers, the feel of him under her hands _finally_. It overwhelmed her, completely. She couldn't say how long they were there, the heat between them building ever more rapidly until it felt like she was consumed by the fires they both held. She did, however, know the moment her muscles rather than her hormones took over. Her legs sagging beneath her, and not in the good way, she realised that perhaps going for so long without breathing might be a problem, at least as far as her recovery was concerned. Her sudden stagger pulling their lips apart, Castle's eyes went from lust-filled to concerned in an instant.

"Kate?" He asked, worried. "Are you okay?" Breathless, she let him hold her upright, still not trusting her legs fully. Pulling herself from the depths of his eyes again, she spoke, her voice more breathy than she'd have liked, an edge of passion still threading through it.

"Kinda..." She let out an uncharacteristic giggle as she bit her lip briefly. "I guess that was my body's way of telling me to breathe more." The moment fading, she shifted slightly, testing the pain. Wincing as the wounds finally cashed cheques that her brain had been ignoring for the last few minutes, she realised that she was probably due for more pain medication. Drawing a shaky breath, she grinned at Castle despite the shards of pain lancing through her, one hand rising unbidden to thread through his still-damp hair.

Closing his eyes for a second, he let out happy sigh, the feeling of her fingers sending a warm tingle through his body. Not even in the same ball-park as the fireworks that had been going off inside his skin only moments before, the soft, gentleness of the gesture meant more to him than the flaring passion from before. This was Kate being open, seeking and receiving comfort. A lazy, contented smile on his face, he unhooked his ankles and leaned forward, his hands on her hips once more. Slipping off the stool, still keeping her braced, he stood up slowly.

"Let's see about getting you some food and then your lunchtime meds, hey?" he leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly across hers, before easing her forward, sitting her on the stool he had so recently vacated. Making his way into the kitchen, he opened the fridge, calling back over his shoulder, "What do you fancy, Beckett?" Intent on finding her some food, he missed the appreciative eye she ran over his bare shoulders and down his jeans, a satisfied smile lighting her whole face up.

"Surprise me..." She replied, content just to watch him for a while.

* * *

><p>Castle stretched out on the couch and flicked idly through the channels on the television, a faint smile on his lips. The sound of running water coming from his bathroom conjured all kinds of delicious images in his head, all revolving around the gorgeous brunette currently enjoying the steamy hot water, only a short walk and one closed door away.<p>

He'd have offered to join her, purely to help conserve water of course, but he got the impression that Kate would prefer to shower alone, at least until they were a little more settled in their relationship. Still, he couldn't be helped for the direction his thoughts took, could he? Still absently flicking through the channels, his attention was caught by the distinctive tones of a Doctor Who intro. A grin creasing his face, he tossed the remote onto the cushions next to him and put his feet up, his inner geek only a little disappointed that it wasn't one of the newer episodes. The long, multi-coloured scarf giving him all the clues he needed, Castle was more than happy to let Tom Baker and the TARDIS whisk him away.

Half an hour later, a brief flicker on the screen distracted him, before the CCTV image of his daughter walking down the hall caught his attention. Knowing her as well as he did, he could tell she was unhappy about something. The sound of keys being tossed onto the kitchen bench pulling him from his contemplation of the source of his daughter's irritation, Castle sat upright, turning to look at her.

"Hey, pumpkin!" He called, addressing the young redhead. From the way her bag skidded across the marble bench from the force of her throw, to the look on her face... It all spoke to him of something wrong, and judging by the way her face darkened when she turned to face her father, it had something to do with him.

"Dad, we need to talk." Those five little words immediately banishing his good humour, he turned to face her fully. Focused on each other, neither of them heard the sounds of running water from the bathroom cease.

"Come sit, Alexis." He waited for her to take a seat next to him, before continuing. "What's wrong, kiddo?" He could almost see whatever was bothering her, bubbling up inside. She took a deep breath, obviously still struggling to put her feelings into words. Finally, she let her breath out, and spoke.

"Dad, why do you do it? How could you?" He knew without her needing to explain further exactly what _it_ she was referring to. The argument she'd had with him when Kate was still in hospital. He'd hoped that the matter had been laid to rest the last time it had been broached. Castle sighed heavily, gathering his thoughts. After their last argument, he had thought that Alexis had been, if not happy, then at least resigned to the situation. He had been silent for all of a couple of seconds, before she plowed ahead. "You could have been killed, Dad. You came so close, and that was just this time. I know you've been at risk before, just from following Detective Beckett around, and honestly, I'd rather not know just how close you've come, or how many times." Her voice cracked, the strain of holding back tears starting to show through.

Kate wrapped her hair in a towel, quickly drying the rest of her body off. Slipping on a tank top and sweat pants, she stepped out of the bathroom, heading towards the lounge, when the sounds of the others pulled her up short. She wasn't one to eavesdrop normally, but Alexis' words froze her in place, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, her hand bracing her against the wall as a wave of nausea passed through her.

"I don't want to lose you, Dad" Alexis said, her voice heated. "I can't help but feel that the longer you keep following her around, the more likely that is to happen." Tears started to flow down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to control the sobs that threatened to spill free. "God, Dad, I was so scared when I saw all the blood... I thought you'd been shot, and I couldn't think... You can't... I can't go through that Dad, not again, not for real. Why can't you see that? You're a writer, not a cop. This isn't your job, it isn't your fight. You shouldn't have to die because of _her_!" The words hit Beckett like a punch to the gut. She _liked_ Alexis... sweet, gentle, caring Alexis... who now seemed to despise her. The sudden feeling of cold against her skin alerted her to the fact that her legs had given way slightly, and the wall was now the only thing keeping her upright. Her mind blank, all Kate could think was an endless stream of denials, shouted inside her mind.

_Why__ now?_ She mentally screamed, agony rippling through her. _Why __does __this __need__ to __happen __now? __When __we're __finally __on __the__ same __page, __both __ready__ for __this?_ Her arms wrapping around her stomach, Kate curled in on herself against the wall, waiting, dreading what Castle would say. She knew how much he loved his daughter, and their relationship was still so new, so fragile that she was afraid that something like this could shatter their carefully built foundation before they had even had a chance to make it work.

Never in his life had Rick heard his daughter, his adorable little girl spit a word with such venom. The thought of her harboring such bile within her, and directed at Kate of all people, twisted his stomach, a foul taste forming on the back of his tongue.

"Alexis," He started, all trace of a smile wiped from his face. "I love you, you know that, right?" He searched her eyes, waiting for that infinitesimal spark he knew was there, that little sparkle that meant she got it. It was there, but only just. She nodded slowly, her face still tight and angry, her heated glare spoiled by her sniff as she quickly wiped her nose with a tissue, dabbing at her eyes. "I'm going to explain a few things to you, and I need you to just listen, and to hear me out, okay?" Again she nodded, the glare coming back in full force as she calmed her heaving sobs.

"This is something I'd hoped you wouldn't need to learn for a very long time, Lex..." He sighed again, hating that they needed to have this talk, hating that the cruel realities of the world intruded on his little girl. Wasn't it the job of every father to keep the bad things away from them? To keep them safe from the things that might hurt them?

"Time passes, things change, people change. It's the way of the world, everything has a time. Your Grams won't be here forever, and neither will I. You will always be my little girl, no matter what happens, but already you are so much more, Alexis. You are an amazing young woman, with hopes and dreams, and a future just waiting around the corner. Someday, a lot sooner than I'd like, you are going to be an adult... You'll move out, get your heart broken, maybe get married, have kids, a whole life, just waiting for you to go out there and live it. It doesn't make you any less my daughter, or make me love you any less. These things happen, and it's supposed to be that way."

He gave her a small smile as he shook his head slightly, his mind providing thoughts, ideas, all as he looked at her solemnly. "It happened to me, and it'll happen to you. I got my heart broken, I wrote some books, and I made a lot of money... I partied hard and had fun. Then you came along, and my whole world changed. I grew up, because I had to, Pumpkin. Your mother didn't want to, still hasn't, but you needed me to be somebody different, you needed me to be a father, so I did. I know I like to kid around and have fun, but when push comes to shove, I did what I needed to do."

He paused, watching his words sink in, her face losing some of its edge. He continued. "There is a difference between _who_ I am and _what_ I am. The who is simple: I am your father, who loves you. That's a part of who I am, and I wouldn't change that for the world. Being a writer isn't part of the who, it's part of the what. It's a job, a description. Okay, it's a job that I love, and I'm good at, but in the end, that's all. It's a means to an end, one that means that I don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, or how to keep a roof over our heads." He sighed, memories long-buried surfacing once more.

"You have advantages I never had, Alexis. Mother worked damned hard to provide for me, growing up. A single mother back then, trying to pay the bills and raise a son without a father? There were days we went hungry, times we moved because we couldn't afford not to... She gave me the very best that she could afford, and loved me like crazy, and it was enough. I was lucky enough to find something I love doing, and it just happens to bring in enough that I can take care of us, but in the end, it isn't _me_. If the books didn't sell all those years ago, or something happened and I couldn't write, I'd have to have gotten a regular job, work regular hours, just to make ends meet. Would that make me any less your father?" Mute, Alexis could only shake her head, sobered by his tone. Never in her entire life, had she heard her father speak like this, stone cold serious, sober and responsible.

"So being a writer is just a job, Pumpkin. I'd like to think I could do anything I wanted, if I needed to... Become a chef, or a teacher... or a cop... You are growing up, changing, growing into the woman you will be someday... I grew up too. I partied for a fair few years, although a lot of that was for publicity, but that's changed now. _I've_ changed... I will always be your dad, but you need to accept that, just as much as you are changing, so am I. I need to do these things, Alexis, just as much as I needed to change when you were born." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"You asked me before if Kate made me happy, and I told you she does, but it's more than that. I've been in love before, and I know how it feels, and how much it can hurt. What I feel for Kate is... different. Better. More... just more. I have never felt like this before about a woman, Alexis, and it terrifies me. She's everything that I'm not, but we are so good together... We balance each other, keep each other centered, and when we are together, we are better off than when we are alone. No, we are just _better_ together. She makes me a better man, and I'd like to hope that I help her heal, to get better from all the hurt she's suffered. I want to be with Kate, to be happy with her." Kate's mouth fell open at his words, the nausea in her stomach replaced by a fluttering that was as unexpected as his frank confession to his daughter.

_He__ said __it__ before_, Beckett remembered, _as__ I__ lay__ on __the __grass, __dying..._ In the corner of her mind, she'd thought that that was exactly why he'd said it to her, that it was some form of final goodbye. When she had woken up in the hospital, she'd seen it in his eyes as clearly as if he'd written it on paper for her – it wasn't a once off thing. Still not really thinking clearly from the pain and medication, she'd ignored it, because it was easier that way, at the time. There had been her recovery to worry about, and Josh and the fallout from the shooting. Since she'd been living at the loft, however, she had allowed herself to think on it more and more often. Once she'd broken up with Josh, the idea had blossomed rapidly in her mind, growing until she didn't think she could bear it much longer. Their relationship had moved forward, both still nervous about it, but moving forward nonetheless. Kate wasn't sure what she was more afraid of: admitting that she felt the same way about him, him saying it again and her freaking out, or him not saying it at all. Her heart racing, she kept listening, three words repeating themselves in the silence of her head: _He __loves __me_.

"It doesn't mean I will love you any less, Pumpkin." Castle continued, shifting on the couch slightly, the creak of the leather sounding unnaturally loud in the air thick with tension. "Far from it, but just as you are growing up, there comes a time when I need to be more than just your father. I... Kate has never been shy about telling me that she's a one and done girl, and honestly, I can't see myself with anybody else. I thought I'd lost her at the funeral. I held her, and watched as the lights went out, and told her I love her, because it might have been the last chance I got to let her know how I felt. She's lost her mother in the most horrific way, I can only imagine what it must have been like, but I know exactly how I'd have felt if she hadn't made it back alive... I don't think I could have handled it. Nothing would have ever been the same, I'd have felt her absence next to me the rest of my life. I know it's risky, I know that there are people out there trying to kill her, but that's why I have to do this, Alexis. I can't just let the woman I love walk into the fire alone. I need to be there for her, and whether or not she admits it, she needs me there too. We have to see this through, because it's the only way either of us can move forward with our lives. If that means I need to change to do that, then it'll happen. I will be the man she needs me to be, because I love her, and unless I'm very much mistaken, she feels something for me too, although I doubt if she's even admitted it, even to herself yet. She's changed as well, some because she needed to, like with her mother, and her father, some because she saw things in herself that she didn't like and changed because she wanted to be different. She's more open than she used to be, at least with me, and with you and mother as well lately. The guys have noticed it, and her dad even thanked me for helping bring back some of the little girl she lost when her mother died."

Castle gave his daughter a bittersweet smile. "That's why I do it, Alexis, that's why I risk myself, because if I didn't do it, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror in the morning, knowing I did anything less than the best that I could for her. Now do you understand a bit better?"

Alexis' face eased as he spoke, her muffled sobs smoothing out, until finally they stopped completely. She looked at her father, tears still shining in her eyes, and she could see it in him, something she had never noticed. Under his relaxed demeanor, behind the playboy facade, she saw him being serious, sensible, grown up. She saw strength, and resolve, and despite her earlier, bitter words, she felt pride swelling inside her. Far from recklessly throwing himself into danger, she could see that he had thought about it, long and hard. He was taking risks, but he knew what he was getting into. She thought about Ashley, and realised that whilst their relationship was still full of youthful enthusiasm, she felt more strongly about him than any boy she'd been interested in so far, and she'd have a hard time not helping him if he needed her. Absorbing her father's words, she understood that loving somebody was a risk... risking being hurt by them, being hurt for them, and knowing that, accepting those risks and doing it anyway. She didn't know where she'd heard it, but she recalled some words of wisdom: never be afraid to take the leap, for in fearing the fall, you will never fly.

Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him tightly. Her voice steadier, she tucked her head under his chin and relaxed, letting his warmth soothe her as she spoke.

"It's okay, Dad. I just hadn't thought about it like that before, you know?" She felt his wordless nod. "I guess..." She paused, a guilty flush staining her cheeks, glad that her hair hid it. She sighed sadly. "I'm just so used to being the only one you worry about. I'm not used to having to share you with anyone..." She tilted her head back as she looked up at him, a teasing smile on her lips. "Since you seem to be so crazy about her, I'm going to have to get used to having her around, aren't I?"

In the hall, Kate felt her heart start beating again, a silly smile spreading unstoppably across her face as the butterflies in her stomach settled down somewhat. She knew he loved her, not just because he said so, but because it showed in everything he did. Knowing that didn't settle her nerves, it was the knowledge that she loved him back just as much that settled her, the moment she accepted it. He loved her, and she loved him. That had to count for something, in the grand scheme of things, didn't it?

* * *

><p>AN: Well, folks, things are about to get interesting. The story is all set up for where I actually wanted to start telling this one from, so hold onto your hat's the ride is about the start. Please keep your arms inside the carts until the ride has come to a complete halt. Hitting 'review' doesn't hurt either, I promise! :-D


End file.
